412-787-6088 * 412-787-7762 (fax)
|
412-787-6088 * 412-787-7762 (fax) |
|
| ERI researchers have performed research projects for a wide range of clients in a variety of service areas including child welfare, community organization, education, government, family services, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and many more. Following is a brief list of clients and project descriptions. |  |
Professional Family Care Services, Inc
Program Optimization and Evaluation
Conducted an
organizational assessment of PFCS in order to generate a
recommendation for continual optimization of program performance.
Evaluated the adequacy of client and outreach services; administrative and personnel practice and performance;
and work climate/ environment. Also provided strategic planning
assistance for the future.
Office of Children, Youth and Family of Allegheny County
Child Welfare Workload Assessment Study
Estimated the time needed (case load per staff) to complete mandated good practice/service activities; estimated the appropriate average caseload per staff in order to serve families based on good practice; estimated the total number of CYF staff needed to serve families based on good practice; and identified constraint factors associated with the execution of practice/service activities.
University
of Pittsburgh
HOPE VI Evaluation Research Project
Generated research information to assist the HOPE VI initiative of the Hill District in Pittsburgh to achieve its maximum potential and efficiently secure meaningful outcomes. The comprehensive evaluation report allows organizations in other areas of the region or jurisdiction to emulate best practices.
Garfield Community Needs Assessment
Implemented a community needs assessment with special focus on unemployed and welfare-to-work populations in the Garfield area. This project was developed and implemented jointly by the School of Social Work, University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR), Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, and Garfield community residents and its community-based organizations.
Faculty and Staff Assistance Program Evaluation Research Project.
Conducted an evaluation of the University's Employee Assistance Program. The evaluative assessment areas included program adequacy, outcomes, client/participant satisfaction, benefit equity, cost/benefit and organizational constraints.
Office of Child Development Evaluation Research Project.
Conducted an evaluation of program adequacy, effectiveness, consumer satisfaction, benefit equity, and organizational constraints.
Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Installation of Organization-wide Evaluation System
Developed an organization-wide evaluation system to gather evaluation/ optimization data related to the mission, goals and objectives of the agency’s five divisions-- Early Childhood Services, Education, Youth Services, Employment and Housing. This system facilitates the assessment of overall organizational performance, enhancement needs and the adequacy of the resource distribution.
Educational Policies and Issues Center
Annual Regional Education Index Report: Public Schools of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Data Analysis Advisor)
The Annual Regional Education Index Report is a regional report based on ten critical measures of student and school performance. The Southwestern region includes 118 School districts with over 370,000 students and 23,000 teachers. The Allegheny County’s Educational Issues and Policies Center requested the Community Enhancement Research Network to consider participating in this regional project in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School of Public Policy.
Allegheny Policy Council
Evaluation Project, CAP Program
Examined the adequacy, program quality and utility of an educational intervention generated by the Career and Academic Passport (CAP) program. Approximately 250 students and teachers were sampled for this process and outcome evaluation
Evaluation Research Project, Open Doors Program
Conducted an evaluation of various community and school collaborative programs coordinated by the Open Doors Program. These programs are designed to serve educationally "at risk" students. Open Doors involves six Pittsburgh communities (i.e., Hill District, Homewood-Brushton, Northside, East End, West End, and Southside).
HERO Project
Evaluation
Report
Generated an annual evaluation report in order to maximize the intervention impact of this Westmoreland County sexual abuse prevention program.
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Parent-School Community Council Evaluation Research Project
Implemented an enhancement project involving 84 Parent-School Community Councils of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Funded by the Pittsburgh Board of Education, this project is designed to foster collaboration among parents and school representatives.
Head
Start Evaluation Report
Generated a program evaluation that was used to help maximize service coverage, improve reading skills of pre-school children, and improve program outcomes.
YouthWorks
Summer Youth Employment Evaluation Research Project
Conducted an evaluation of a youth employment project involving unemployed youth, for-profit employers and non-profit organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
Tadiso
Evaluation Research Project
Provided various technical supports for conducting community needs assessment, staff
assessment, work climate studies, client satisfaction and organizational image.
The Gateway Health Plan
Evaluation Research
Analyzed opinions and recommendations of the Plan's primary care doctors and specialty care doctors about the adequacy, effectiveness and quality of the health plan.
Focus Group Assessment
Analyzed opinions and recommendations of clients about the adequacy, effectiveness and quality of the health plan.
Market Research
This was a joint project with Urban Market Research, Inc. in which we developed a marketing strategy for the organization (e.g., market development and horizontal integration, concentric diversification, etc.).
Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania
Evaluation Research Project, Pittsburgh Health Careers Initiative
Conducted an evaluation of a School-to-Work Program that integrates school learning with on-the-job training experiences in several of Pittsburgh's health care organizations. This program includes 10 Pittsburgh Public Schools and a dozen local hospitals and healthcare providers.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Evaluation Project
Conducted an evaluation of the Program’s adequacy, effectiveness, volunteer satisfaction, and organizational strengths and constraints.
United Way of Allegheny County
Evaluation of Community Collaboratives
Conducted an evaluation of a community collaborative system designed to rehabilitate mothers with substance abuse problems and to prevent school failure of their children. This program is located in three economically depressed communities in the Greater Pittsburgh area (i.e., the Hill District, Homewood- Brushton, and McKeesport). The collaborative system includes partnerships with approximately 30 human service organizations (e.g., drug treatment, health, child care, housing, educational enhancement, job training, and employment programs), and churches, public schools and hospitals.
Southwestern Pennsylvania School-To-Work Consortium
Evaluation Research Project
Produced a statistical evaluation report on participants' profiles, collaboration partnerships, programmatic strategies, constraint factors, and progress-to-date.
YWCA: Female Outreach Collaborative Effort
Evaluation Research Project
Conducted an evaluation of a female outreach program designed to enhance school, social and economic outcomes among middle to high school students in Wilkinsburg, East-End, Homewood-Brushton, East Liberty, South Side and North Side.
Communities In Schools
Evaluation Research Enhancement Project
Conducted an evaluation of this educational enhancement program that provides coordination and case management services for "at risk" students in Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Steel Valley School District.
Family Resources
Installation of Agency-wide Evaluation System
Designed a unique agency-wide evaluation system to gather data related to the mission and program goals and objectives. Rather than conducting independent evaluations for each of the projects of Family Resources (often more than 25 at any given time across four geographical areas covering over 30 communities), the new system is capable of generating agency-wide evaluative information. Such a system allows for assessment of the overall organization's performance, enhancement needs and adequacy of the resource distribution.
City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and
Allegheny Policy Council
Summer Youth Employment Evaluation Research Project.
Conducted an evaluation of the summer youth employment program, which provides jobs with pay to approximately 2,600 Pittsburgh youths during the summer months. This is a large-scale collaboration-based program involving the Pittsburgh Public Schools, community for-profit employers and non-profit organizations.
Carnegie Science Center: Regional Math and Science Collaboratives
Evaluation Research Project.
Developed an evaluation system for the RMSC. The major goals of the Collaborative are teacher/faculty development, technology utilization, and student performance improvement in math and science. This project was funded by the Westinghouse, Buhl, Grable, R. K. Mellon and Pittsburgh Foundations.
The Salvation Army
Evaluation Research Project
Implemented and reported on an in-house program evaluation system.Web site designed and maintained by Regina M. Vitti-Lyons